Ben, Jordan, and Paul convene in their coziest garb to talk about the coziest game of a very cozy 2026: Nippon Zaibatsu!  Well, cozy except for all the vicious area control and internal sobbing. We're talking about all the changes to the OG Nippon from 2015, and Jordan has a very specific and deserved beef to share.  Plus, Tenby, The Treasure Ship of Zheng He, QE, and [insert spooky music] SorrRRrrcery.

00:00 Intro

03:08 - Sorcery

08:42 - Tenby

17:32 - The Treasure Ship of Zheng He

30:41 - QE + its expansion Commodities

40:03 - Inis, Keyside, Fellowship of the Ring - Trick Taking Game

44:56 - Nippon Zaibatsu review

Matt, Paul and Jordan put on their wetsuits and dive into Feya's Swamp. Do you see what I did there? Dive into. Wetsuits. That's right, it's a swamp joke, ya'll. 

Ben, Trey, & Paul review the 2025 game Stupor Mundi

• 0:00:00 Introduction
  • Shackleton Base: Below. Within. Above. 
  • Keyside
  • The Vibe
  • Detective Club
  • Auf Teufel komm raus (Cabbages & Curses)
  • Terraforming Mars
• 00:51:50 Game Review: Stupor Mundi

Discord link: https://discord.gg/9e7QvC9S (good for only 7 days)

-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com
-  Game Brain Facebook Group
-  Instagram

Matt and Paul review the asymmetric heavy deck building game Star Trek: Captain's Chair as well as discuss the differences between CC and the Imperium series.

Ben, Trey, and Paul review the 2025 reimplementation of March of the Ants: Evolved Edition

• 0:00:00 Introduction
  • 0:03:35 Stupor Mundi
  • 0:14:31 Kingdom Crossing
  • 0:27:47 Agricola
  • Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die
• 00:35:51 Game Review: March of the Ants: Evolved Edition

-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com
-  Game Brain Facebook Group
-  Instagram

Trey, Tom, and Jordan review the 2025 expansion Clans of Caledonia: Industria.

• 0:00:00 Introduction
  • Year of the Serpent
  • Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die
  • Youtube - Play it Again channel
• 00:08:22 Game Review: Clans of Caledonia: Industria
  • Terra Mystica
  • Age of Innovation
  • Gaia Project: The Lost Fleet

-  Find Etamar at kirbooloni.com
-  Game Brain Facebook Group
-  Instagram

On a very special episode of Game Brain, Matthew, Ben, Trey, Paul and Jordan come together to take you through their Top Ten board games of 2025. 

Ben, Trey, and Paul review the 2024 narrative-driven game "Tales of the Arthurian Knights."  Paul says it's not even a game. Could it possibly be good? (yes)  Also recent plays of "March of the Ants," "Indonesia 3rd Edition," and "Secret Hitler."

00:00 - Intro

11:08 - March of the Ants, Evolved Edition

27:37 - Indonesia, 3rd Edition

41:39 - 18Chesapeake

43:32 - Secret Hitler

1:04:44 - Tales of the Arthurian Knights review

Ben, Trey, and Jordan discuss the new action selection minigame speculation bonanza Ayar: Children of the Sun.  Plus discussion of Agent Avenue, Twilight Imperium Thunder's Edge, Silos, and A Place for All My Books.

00:00 - Intro / Traitors

9:20 - Silos

18:46 - Agent Avenue

31:36 - Pacts

35:36 - A Place for All My Books

44:11 - Twilight Imperium Thunder's Edge

57:49 - Ayar: Children of the Sun review

Matt and Jordan review Old King's Crown, the impressive lane battling asymmetric card flipping game from first time designer Pablo Clark. 

Ben and Paul are here to save your holiday season! Need a game to buy for that special someone?  Or even that UNspecial someone? We have some ideas for you. Plus, some strategies for how to teach games to the most stubborn, unfocused, and downright difficult people of all time: your family.

00:00 - Intro

04:00 - Recent Plays

04:12 - Food Chain Magnate

17:17 - Ito

22:36 - Ayar, Shinjuku, and Tag Team

26:36 - The Game Brain Holiday Gifting Extravaganza!!

28:36 - Games for Monopoly lovers

34:17 - Games for Scrabble lovers (or Codenames or Scattergories)

42:18 - Games if you don't know someone's tastes

46:53 - Games you can play with someone right away

48:52 - Games to inch someone towards the hobby

52:22 - Party games!

53:21 - Stocking stuffers

55:16 - How to teach games to your family